"'Yudhishthira said, "O the best of Bharata's race and the foremost of
great men, I wish to know what the fruits are of good deed. Do thou
enlighten me on this point."
"'Bhishma said, "I shall tell thee what thou hast asked. Do thou, O
Yudhishthira, listen to this which constitutes the secret knowledge of
the Rishis. Listen to me as I explain what the ends, long coveted, are
which are attained by men after death. Whatever actions are performed by
particular corporeal beings, the fruits thereof are reaped by the doers
while endued with similar corporeal bodies; for example, the fruits of
actions done with mind are enjoyed at the time of dreams, and those of
actions performed physically are enjoyed in the working state physically.
In whatever states creatures perform good or evil deeds, they reap the
fruits thereof in similar states of succeeding lives. No act done with
the aid of the five organs of sensual perception, is ever lost. The five
sensual organs and the immortal soul which is the sixth, remain its
witnesses. One should devote one's eye to the service of the guest and
should devote one's heart on the same; one should utter words that are
agreeable; one should also follow and worship (one's guest). This is
called Panchadakshin Sacrifice, (the sacrifice with five gifts). He who
offers good food to the unknown and weary travellers fatigued by a long
journey, attains to great merit. Those that use the sacrificial platform
as their only bed obtain commodious mansions and beds (in subsequent
births). Those that wear only rags and barks of trees for dress, obtain
good apparel and ornaments in next birth. One possessed of penances and
having his soul on Yoga, get vehicles and riding animals (as the fruit of
their renunciation in this life). The monarch that lies down by the side
of the sacrificial fire, attains to vigour and valour. The man who
renounces the enjoyment of all delicacies, attains to prosperity, and he
that abstains from animal food, obtains children and cattle. He who lies
down with his head downwards, or who lives in water, or who lives
secluded and alone in the practice of Brahmacharya, attains to all the
desired ends. He who offers shelter to a guest and welcomes him with
water to wash his feet as also with food, light and bed, attains to the
merits of the sacrifice with the five gifts. He who lays himself down on
a warrior's bed on the battle-field in the posture of a warrior, goes to
those eternal regions where all the objects of desire are fulfilled. A
man, O king, attains to riches that makes charitable gifts. One secures
obedience to one's command by the vow of silence, all the enjoyments of
life by practice of austerities, long life by Brahmacharya, and beauty,
prosperity and freedom from disease by abstaining from injury to others.
Sovereignty falls to the lot of those that subsist on fruits and roots
only. Residence in heaven is attained by those that live on only leaves
of trees. A man, O king, is said to obtain happiness, by abstention from
food. By confining one's diet to herbs alone, one becomes possessed of
cows. By living on grass one attains to the celestial regions. By
foregoing all intercourse with one's wife and making ablutions three
times during the day and by inhaling the air only for purposes of
subsistence, one obtains the merit of a sacrifice. Heaven is attained by
the practice of truth, nobility of birth by sacrifices. The Brahmana of
pure practices that subsists on water only, and performs the Agnihotra
ceaselessly, and recites the Gayatri, obtains a kingdom. By abstaining
food or by regulating it, one attains to residence in heaven. O king, by
abstaining from all but the prescribed diet while engaged in sacrifices,
and by making pilgrimage for twelve years, one attains to a place better
than the abodes reserved for heroes. By reading all the Vedas, one is
instantly liberated from misery, and by practising virtue in thought, one
attains to the heavenly regions. That man who is able to renounce that
intense yearning of the heart for happiness and material enjoyments,--a
yearning that is difficult of conquest by the foolish and that doth not
abate with the abatement of bodily vigour and that clings like a fatal
disease unto him,--is able to secure happiness. As the young calf is able
to recognise its dam from among a thousand cows, so does the previous
acts of a man pursue him (in all his different transformations). As the
flowers and fruits of a tree, unurged by visible influences, never miss
their proper season, so does Karma done in a previous existence bring
about its fruits in proper time. With age, man's hair grows grey, his
teeth become loose; his eyes and ears too become dim in action; but the
only thing that does not abate is his desire for enjoyments. Prajapati is
pleased with those acts that please one's father, and the Earth is
pleased with those acts that please one's mother, and Brahma is adored
with those acts that please one's preceptor. Virtue is honoured by him
who honours these three. The acts of those that despise these three do
not avail them."'
"Vaisampayana said, 'The princes of Kuru's race became filled with wonder
upon listening to this speech of Bhishma. All of them became pleased in
mind and overpowered with joy. As Mantras applied with a desire to win
victory, or the performance of the Shoma sacrifice made without proper
gifts, or oblations poured on the fire without proper hymns, become
useless and lead to evil consequences, even so sin and evil results flow
from falsehood in speech. O prince, I have thus related to thee this
doctrine of the fruition of good and evil acts, as narrated by the Rishis
of old. What else dost thou wish to hear?'"